Jackie and Shadow’s 2026 babies: Everything you need to know about the new eaglets
Popular Science...
It’s been another roller coaster nesting season for Jackie and Shadow, a pair of internet-famous bald eagle parents living in San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California. After two of their eggs were destroyed by ravens in January, Jackie and Shadow laid two new eggs that have successfully hatched.
Chick 1 hatched on April 4 at 9:33 p.m. PDT, while Chick 2 followed on April 5 at 8:30 a.m. Their large nest in Big Bear Valley east of Los Angeles is livestreamed 24 hours a day by nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV) and has captivated millions.
According to FOBBV, Jackie and Shadow have alternated sitting with the chicks and hunting for fish in Big Bear Lake. When a rain storm rolled in yesterday, Jackie kept the chicks warm until the weather cleared up.
The siblings have also been seen pecking and pushing each other during some of their feeding sessions. This behavior called bonking is completely normal and sibling rivalry is very common among chicks. They take time determining “pecking order,” or who will get to eat first. Typically, the dominant chick will eat first. The smaller chick then waits his or her turn or gets creative to eat. The smaller chick might walk around the nest for scraps or wait until any bigger chicks get tired after sleeping and need a nap.
When the eaglets reach about 10 weeks old, the FOBBV team may try to guess their sex based on their size, vocal pitch, and other visual characteristics. We are also awaiting details on what the chicks will be named and when the naming contest will be held. That honor is expected to go to the third, fourth, and fifth grade students at an elementary school near the San Bernardino Valley, as per tradition.
The pair first got together in 2018 and successfully raised chicks in 2019 and 2022. However, their eggs failed to hatch in 2023 and 2024. Only 50 percent of eagle eggs successfully hatch, so this pair has already beaten the odds.
In 2025, Jackie laid three eggs that all hatched in early March. On March 13, a strong snowstorm dumped up to two feet of snow and battered the nest with strong winds. Only two of the chicks were visible on the live cam when the storm passed by the next morning. FOBBV later confirmed the passing of one of the chicks. The two surviving chicks were later named Sunny and Gizmo after 54,000 names were submitted by fans.
You can continue to watch on the FOBBV YouTube page for updates, but remember that nature is unpredictable.
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